Kukla's Korner Hockey

...Priest means total control, in hiring, firing, everything. This control logically extends over coach Ken Hitchcock, but that’s not an issue at this point. Is there anyone out there who doesn’t think that the coach is one of the franchise’s greatest assets? Hitch knows Howson. They have bright minds that will mesh well. They’ll be fine together.
But that’s not the reason Howson will be hired.
Howson, 47, has a law degree from Osgoode Hill Law School at York University in Toronto. That’s an Ivy League-caliber degree. With the Oilers since 1994, he has managed the top farm team to great success, negotiated contracts, served as a point man on trades and weighed in on personnel decisions. And he has been the Oilers’ in-house salary-cap expert, a required commodity in a small market.